Overview
For two months, Melbourne moved like a city that had forgotten what a fare gate was for. Between April and May, while the state's public transport ran free, the top-up machines went quiet and the question of whether you'd remembered to tap on simply stopped existing. That holiday is over.
From June 1, fares are back — at half price, which softens the blow considerably. Until January 1, 2027, a full-fare day on the network costs a maximum of $5.70, down from $11.40, while concession travel caps at $2.85. The discount covers metropolitan trains, trams and buses, plus V/Line trains and coaches. SkyBus, ferries and non-subsidised regional buses miss out. Early birds still travel free on metro trains before 7am, under-18s ride free with a Youth myki, and seniors keep their free weekends.
But the return of fares brought back something else: authorised officers. On r/MelbourneTrains, the end of the free period was marked with a thread titled "Well, that's it.. no more free PTV" — equal parts eulogy and warning. During the free months, commuters openly wondered what the network's ticket inspectors were doing with their days. As of June, nobody is wondering anymore.
The sightings have been rolling in. A private Facebook group called Report Ticket Inspectors live - Melbourne — nearly 20,000 members strong — trades real-time updates on where officers are working, and since fares resumed the feed has been busy: inspectors boarding the 86 tram at Westgarth Street, a uniformed group working the same line through Northcote at 8pm, another crew on the 57 heading into the city in the morning peak. There's even an app for it — PTV Alert, built by a Monash University student, maps inspector sightings around the uni.
A reality check before anyone gets ideas: authorised officers work in both uniform and plain clothes, can check your ticket even after you've stepped off the vehicle, and no longer issue on-the-spot fines. Instead, a report goes to the Department of Transport and Planning, and an infringement notice lands in your letterbox four to six weeks later. The standard fine for travelling without a valid ticket is $305. Against a $5.70 daily cap, the maths isn't subtle.
So: tap on. Fares are the cheapest they've been in years — a welcome reversal after myki's steady run of price hikes — and if you'd rather skip the card entirely, tap and go with a bank card arrives across the full train network on Saturday, June 14. The inspectors are back on the beat either way — the cheapest way through is the boring one.
For current fares and travel passes, see Transport Victoria's fares page.